“The world is looking up to India. Those who saw India as slow and steady, can now see the fast and fearless India”, declared Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi at the Rising Bharat Summit 2025.
While global climate financing gaps blight the energy transition across nations, Bharat sprints tenaciously towards net-zero, outpacing the Western nations that seem perpetually occupied with imposing new sustainability regulations laden with acronyms, and amending existing ones – yet again!
Make no mistake: when the true purpose of sustainable practices and goals get overshadowed by tirade of oversized rules, the regulations boil down to a pure capitalist strategy. And yet, despite their developed status, the US, for instance, irrespective of the government at the helm, is seen crawling towards 40% renewable energy target, whereas Europe is edging towards 45% capacity build by 2030. As for the latter, much of its plateauing transition, despite great claims, could be attributed to the political, economic, and cultural capriciousness prevailing across the continent in recent years.
In stark contrast, Bharat – the fastest ‘developing’ economy – surges ahead with an ambitious 500 GW of non-fossil fuel installed capacity goal by 2030, targeting 50% renewable electricity and a 45% emissions intensity (EI) cut. Accelerating towards the target, the nation already clocked an impressive 33% EI cut eleven years ahead of schedule – demonstrating distinguished leadership under PM Modi that balances economic growth with climate action – decoupling the two and setting a precedent for other nations to follow in their climate mitigation and energy transition efforts.
While the West may want to highlight Bharat’s increase in CO2 total emissions overtime reflecting its burgeoning population and rapidly growing economy, one must not lose sight of an equally important metric – per capita CO2 emissions. When measured in per capita terms, Bharat’s CO2 emissions stand strikingly low – over 7 times less than the US, 4 times below China, and circa 3 times less than the EU, demonstrating minimal individual carbon footprint despite ongoing industrial expansion, infrastructure development, and growing urbanisation.
Far from implying that economic growth cannot be sustainable, this even subverts the narrative that economic growth must necessarily result in environmental degradation, with Bharat evidencing that one can have both, a booming economy and ecological responsibility met, ahead of time in some cases!
As for the non-fossil fuel sources, as of FY 2024-25, they hit ~44%, with renewable energy installed capacity skyrocketing to 215 GW against the 500 GW target set for 2030. Of this, the non-hydro renewable energy capacity grew from 35 GW in 2014 to 167.71 GW by February 2025 – when applied the standard CAGR calculations, the growth rate stands at a significant 15.6%. The progress only expected to double by 2026-27!
This remarkable growth journey not only underscores Bharat’s commitment to renewable energy, but also highlights its inherent ongoing departure from a legacy of coal dependency plumbed originally by the British during the colonial period.
Notwithstanding the historical trajectory of coal-dependency, Bharat emerged as the first G20 nation to meet its COP21 commitment of 40% non-fossil power capacity nine years ahead of schedule surpassing all major developed economies – benefitting the entire world in the process. Recall Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (the world is one family)? Unlike some nations, Bharat lives by it – through decisive actions, and not word salad decorated with cherries on top!
This, therefore, is no ordinary transition; it is a defiant, self-reliant revolution, proclaiming Bharat’s grit and leadership in forging a sustainable future rooted in its rich civilisational ethos – and one that shall not wait for fumbled breadcrumbs offered by the United Nations despite a quantified ask tabled on climate financing needs – more on this as part of a separate paper.
While much of this success to date can be attributed to the sustainable practices embedded in everyday lifestyle of the Bharatiya populace, none can deny that a ship – that too with 1.4+ billion onboard – is known by its captain!
Since assuming office, first as the Chief Minister of Gujarat and then as the Prime Minister of Bharat, Shri Narendra Modi has consistently held sustainability and climate action as part of his core priorities. As a result, energy transition, energy security, energy capacity building, and global energy governance have become the substratum of Bharat’s growth strategy while ensuring alignment with global climate goals. With a population of over 1.4 billion and sustained economic growth, Bharat’s energy demand over the coming years is expected to account for 11% of the global demand, from the current ~5% level.
PM Modi’s innovations in energy policy—from the PM Surya Ghar scheme, which facilitates free electricity for millions via rooftop solar panels, to the electrification of railways, to the Ethanol Blended Petrol Programme, to production linked incentives (PLI) for green hydrogen, to name a few—highlight a long-term commitment to fulfilling energy demands while fostering fair energy transition, accessibility, and Aatmanirbharta (implies, strategic self-reliance).
Building on its robust energy policy framework and strategy, Bharat is developing into a global hub for green hydrogen production and exports. The National Hydrogen Mission’s target need of 5 million tons of green hydrogen by 2030, will be used for the decarbonisation of sectors like steel, cement, and transport along with plans to abate 28 million tonnes of CO2 by 2030 and 400 million tonnes by 2050 (IEA).
These efforts contrast with Western countries, which often rely more on imports for clean energy and sustainability technologies. While geopolitical risks are set to remain high, the underlying market balances for many fuels and technologies are forecasted to ease, signalling a shift towards a buyers’ market – bolstering the case for Bharat’s ambitious energy policies and ambitions to become a leading global exporter.
Such dynamic landscape not only underscores Bharat’s strategic positioning in the global energy market, but also sets the stage for transformative strategic initiatives like the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC).
The establishment of the IMEC in 2023, cemented Bharat’s global leadership in energy transition. It further aligns with the nation’s ‘One Sun One World One Grid’ plan, which stresses green hydrogen pipelines along with interconnections of cross-border electricity grids.
The IMEC Corridor stands poised to add to energy security through the diversification of energy imports and promote the Make in Bharat initiative by scaling Cleantech and Greentech manufacturing, thereby establishing Bharat as a global clean energy hub, courtesy the International Solar Alliance. Despite challenges, including geopolitical instability, and financing requirements for investments, the IMEC has developed into Bharat’s strategic ambition, striking the right balance between affordability, accessibility, and environmental sustainability on the global platform.
As the co-founder of the International Solar Alliance while leading the Global Biofuel Alliance and the India-US Clean Energy and Climate Partnership, Bharat, under PM Modi’s leadership, is not only redefining the global energy governance model, but also advocating for low-cost climate finance, technology transfers for developing nations, and women representation in energy transition.
As Bharat leads the way in energy transition, it must traverse a complex landscape continuing to balance economic growth with environmental sustainability. Driven by aspiration and the embrace of forward-looking technologies such as green hydrogen and imbued with a spirit of inclusion – particularly the empowerment of women – the country under PM Modi’s captaincy has become a trailblazer of sustainable development in the world. Although challenges as global climate financing and grid stability persist, the economic advantages and rising global influence bolster Bharat’s potential to lead the nation and the world to a sustainable future.
Author:
Priyanka Mehta
Priyanka is a Sr. Advisor, Author, and Speaker, helping financial institutions, governments, and corporates through geopolitical, digital, regulatory, and policy challenges with her command over geopolitical strategy, AI-driven risk analytics, and sustainable transformation domains.
